GB2025207A - Grill - Google Patents

Abstract

A grill comprises an open top vessel 1, a grid-iron 5 located in the vessel to support the food to be grilled, an upper vessel or lid 2 connected to the first vessel by hinges 3 and being adjustable between a position at which it closes the first vessel 1 and a plurality of positions in which the first vessel is open to some extent. An electric heating resistance 6 is mounted in the upper vessel 2 and is connected to the hinge position for the upper vessel so that in its heating position the resistance 6 can be made substantially parallel to the edges of the upper vessel 2 and enabling it to be pivoted from this position over its hinge position to a partly open position beneath the edges of the upper vessel so that it is then possible to place the reflector plate 14 above the resistance 6 in the upper vessel. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Grill The present invention is concerned with a grill which comprises a vessel open at the top, a gridiron placed into said vessel, for supporting the foods to be grilled, to which first vessel an upper vessel or lid has been fastened by means of hinges, said upper vessel being approximately of the same size with the first vessel and open at the bottom, and the hinge position being at, or close to, the edges of the vessels so that the vessels can be brought against each other or close to this position and that they can be opened to an open position or allowed to remain in a position that is open to the desired extent.

The invention is in particular characterized in that an electric heating resistance placed in the upper vessel is connected to the above hinge position so that, in its heating position, the resistance can be made substantially parallel with the edges of the upper vessel and that it can be pivoted from this position over its hinge position to a partly open position underneath the edges of the upper vessel so that it is then possible to place a reflector plate above the resistance, which remains above the resistance in the upper vessel when the resistance has been pivoted to its heating position into the upper vessel and which reflector plate can also be easily removed by pivoting the resistance to the opened position.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated by the attached drawing. It shows the grill in the open position. In the drawing it is possible to see the lower vessel 1, the upper vessel 2, and the connecting hinge position 3, as well as the pedestal 4 of the lower vessel. The gridiron 5 is in the lower vessel at a distance from its bottom as supported by brackets or equivalent (not shown in the drawing), and the gridiron can be lifted away from its position, e.g., for cleaning.

The ends 7 of the heating resistance 6 extend through loose-fitting openings in the rear wall into a piece 8 that includes a contact box, to which the electricity cable 9 is connected by means of a contact plug. The piece 8 is by means of levers, slanting faces gliding against each other, etc. (not shown in the drawing) connected to a ring 10 near the hinge position 3 so that, when the ring is turned in relation to the lid, to the position shown in the drawing, the heating resistance is pivoted down in relation to the lid, as is shown in the drawing.

Then, the reflector plate 11 can be placed in position onto the heating resistance or removed from same. After the heating reflector plate has been placed onto the resistance, the ring 10 is pivoted around the upper vessel. The curve 12 in the ring is then elastically pressed into the recess 13 in the wall of the lid and locks the ring into this position. Correspondingly the heating resistance 6 has been locked into a position in which it is inside the upper vessel in a plane that is substantially parallel to the plane of the vessel edges. Food placed onto the gridiron can now be grilled by switching on the electric current to the heating resistance and by turning the lid more or less downwards.

By means wotan adjustment mechanism related to the lid and keeping it in a position at each particular time open to the desired extent (not shown in the drawing) it is easy to control the heat required by the foods to be grilled. When the lid is at the lowest position, the maximum heating is obtained to the object of heating. A more or less open position of the lid correspondingly reduces the heat radiation. In this way it is possible to control the heating.

The electric resistance wire of the heating resistance is insulated in the ordinary way from the surrounding metallic protective pipe, which keeps the resistance in the shape of meander line 6. When the electric current is switched on to the resistance, the resistance glows and radiates heat to the food to be grilled, placed on the gridiron.

When the heating resistance is placed in the lid part, it does usually not come into contact with the food to be grilled, placed on the gridiron underneath.

This is why fat cannot drop onto the resistance and produce detrimental smell.

The heat radiation that is directed from the electric resistance upwards and diagonally upwards, i.e.

from the food to be grilled away, is reflected from the reflector plate and directed back again towards the food to be grilled. This is intensified by the shiny and bright face of the reflector plate. The lower vessel may also have a bright inside face, e.g. glossy enamel, and reflect back those heat rays that have passed by the food to be grilled downwards and diagonally downwards.

When reflected back, those rays may be directed at the bottom and side faces of the food to be grilled. In order that the faces reflecting heat rays should remain constantly as glossy as possible, the upper and lower vessel may be appropriately enamelled with self-cleansing enamel.

The brightness of the reflector plate may be ensured so that a new reflector plate is used for each grilling. Such disposable reflector plates are made of thin and glossy metal sheet of low cost, such as aluminium foil. After grilling, the reflector plate with its edges 14 that have been bent downwards may also be used for covering the grilled food slices on the plate on the table, which keeps the grilled food warm for a longer time than otherwise.

Of course, it is also possible to wash and clean the reflector plates after use, which is meaningful when the plates are made of a thicker and more expensive material.

Easy removal of the reflector plate after use and easy replacement of a new or cleaned plate are permitted by the grill mechanism in accordance with the invention. When the ring 10 is pivoted, the heating resistance 6 assumes the opened position shown in the drawing, which permits replacement of the reflector plate even when the resistance meander is still hot. When the ring is then pivoted to its locked position, the grill with its reflector plate is again ready for use. When the point 12 is in the recess 13 and the ring is in its thereby locked position and when the upper and lower vessel are locked against each other, it is easy to move the grill from one place to another by lifting on the ring. The ring also prevents contact of heated parts, e.g., with wall sur faces.

The grill described above is well suitable for grilling various foods, such as chops, beefsteaks, sausages, broilers, etc. It is also excellently suitable for toasting bread.

The invention is not restructed to the embodiment described above and illustrated in the drawing, but it may show variation in many ways within the scope of the patent claims to be presented below.

Claims (5)

1. A grill which comprises a vessel open at the top, a gridiron placed into said vessel, for supporting the foods to be grilled, to which first vessel an upper vessel or lid has been fastened by means of hinges, said upper vessel being approximately of the same size with the first vessel and open at the bottom, and the hinge position being at, or close to, the edges of the vessels so that the vessels can be brought against each other or close to this position and that they can be opened to an open position or allowed to remain in a position that is open to the desired extent, characterizied in that an electric heating resistance placed in the upper vessel is connected to the above hinge position so that in its heating position, the resistance can be made substantially parallel with the edges of the upper vessel and that it can be pivoted from this position over its hinge position to a partly open position underneath the edges of the upper vessel so that it is then possible to place a reflector plate above the resistance, which reflector plate remains above the resistance in the upper vessel when the resistance has been pivoted to its heat ingposition into the upper vessel and which reflector plate can also be easily removed by pivoting the resistance to the opened position.

2. A grill as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the reflector plate is made of glossy sheet, e.g.

aluminium foil, and that its edges are bent slightly downwards so that these bent positions keep the rest of the foil at a distance from the resistance when the foil is placed in position above the resistance.

3. A grill as claimed in claims 1 to 2, characterized in that the pivoting of the resistance to the opened position for removal or replacement of the reflector plate takes place by pivoting an annular piece, placed outside the upper vessel at a distance from said vessel, around said hinge position.

4. A grill as claimed in claim 1 to 3, characterized in that the annular piece and the heating resistance can be locked into such a position in relation to the lid in which they are substantially in a plane parallel to the edges of the lid and that the locking is pro duced by a curve, point, etc. in the annular piece, which curve etc. is elastically pressed into a corres ponding recess in the lid.

5. A grill substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.